3 Nonnegotiable Tips For The Healthy Home Cook, From An RD 

Eager to make healthier, home-cooked meals this year? You're not alone. Prioritizing nutrition is a very popular New Year's goal (as is a commitment to meal prepping), and it's even easier to achieve than you think. 

According to registered dietitian Maya Feller, R.D., the key to healthy eating is focusing on what you can add to your menu, instead of cutting items out; and when you celebrate all the diverse, nourishing dishes that come from across the globe, healthy eating just feels like second nature.

That's why in her cookbook, Eating From Our Roots, Feller highlights flavorful traditional cooking methods from cultures around the world, including the Caribbean, South America, Africa, the Mediterranean, Asia, and more. 

"You go to many websites and search 'dinner,' the first thing that comes up is '15-minute meals' or '30-minute meals,'" says Feller. "There's nothing wrong with it. Of course, we all want to get dinner on the table quickly… But when that becomes the norm, the hamster wheel that people are in is just in overdrive." Over time, she says, we become disconnected from our food and the simple act of nourishing our bodies. 

"I always say to people, if you season your vegetables, they may be able to hold up to whatever animal protein you have on your plate. Maybe it can be the star on its own," says Feller. That said, try to expand your palette when it comes to various seasonings and spices. The world is your oyster! 

For instance, Feller mentions berbere, a wonderful, fragrant spice frequently used in Ethiopian dishes. "It has like a little bit of heat on it," she says. "I characterize it as a round heat, so it's not too jabbing. But I think it can be incredible when you mix it in with vegetables." 

When Feller was doing research for her book, she noticed that many cultures actually use herbs to flavor their meals—they do use spices, as we mentioned above, but you'd be surprised by how much flavor you can obtain with herbs alone. "I have friends who are Finnish, Austrian, Swiss, German… They season their salads with fresh herbs. That's not something that we tend to do in the U.S. It's not like we're putting dill, parsley, chives [on everything]. You see that in a nicer restaurant," Feller says.